"A Festival of Failure": Spanish Press Weighs in on Demise of Royal Marriage(s)

 

On Wednesday, Lecturas magazine ran as its cover a photo of Infanta Cristina next to a recent picture of her husband Iñaki Urdangarin holding hands with another woman (later identified by Lecturas as Ainhoa Armentia) on the beach in Bidart, France. The headline blared: "EXCLUSIVE: WHILE INFANTA CRISTINA LIVES IN SWITZERLAND, IÑAKI WITH ANOTHER WOMAN." The well-known journalist Pilar Eyre broke the story; Ms. Eyre has sometimes provided sensational scoops about the royal family. This news was swiftly echoed in the rest of the press. The Catalan digital newspaper El Nacional summarised their report with two poignant lines: "The marriages of the Bourbons are cool: only one seems to have resisted separations and extramarital affairs, that of King Felipe and [Queen] Letizia. The rest is a festival of failure: that of [King] Juan Carlos and [Queen] Sofía, that of [Infanta] Elena and Jaime de Marichalar and now that of [Infanta] Cristina and Iñaki Urdangarin." It should be noted that Infanta Cristina and her husband have not formally separated.

Elena and Jaime, 1995.
Photo (c) Getty Images / Thierry Orban.

On 18 March 1995 at Seville, Infanta Elena of Spain, Duchess of Lugo, married don Jaime de Marichalar y Sáenz de Tejada. The couple had met in 1987 while she was studying in Paris. Infanta Elena and don Jaime have two children: don Froilán de Marichalar y Borbón (b.1998) and doña Victoria Federica de Marichalar y Borbón (b.2000). Infanta Elena and don Jaime separated in 2007; their marriage was dissolved by divorce in 2010.

Cristina and Iñaki on their wedding day, 1997.
Photo (c) Getty Images / Carsten Rehder / picture alliance.

On 4 October 1997 at Barcelona, Infanta Cristina of Spain, then Duchess of Palma de Mallorca, married don Iñaki Urdangarin Liebaert. The couple either met in 1992 or (as is the more common version) at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. Infanta Cristina and Iñaki have four children: don Juan Urdangarin y Borbón (b.1999), don Pablo Urdangarin y Borbón (b.2000), don Miguel Urdangarin y Borbón (b.2002), and doña Irene Urdangarin y Borbón (b.2005). Iñaki became embroiled in the Nóos case, which began in 2010 and is still ongoing. As a result of his involvement in the scandal, Iñaki was sentenced to almost six years imprisonment in 2018. Since 2013, Infanta Cristina and her minor children have lived in Switzerland although the infanta often visits Spain to see her family.

Felipe and Letizia, 2004.
Photo (c) Getty Images / Ian Waldie.

On 22 May 2004 at Madrid, the then Prince of Asturias married Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano. The Prince and Princess of Asturias have two children: Infanta Leonor (b.2005) and Infanta Sofía (b.2007). In 2014, the Prince of Asturias succeeded his father King Juan Carlos I and became King Felipe VI of Spain. King Felipe and Queen Letizia will celebrate twenty years of marriage in 2024. 

 

Sources:

(2014) Princess in Court - How an ideal couple’s life went to hell

(2022) EXCLUSIVA Iñaki Urdangarin, con otra mujer mientras la infanta Cristina vive en Suiza

(2022) Ainhoa Armentia, la identidad de la mujer que pasea de la mano de Iñaki Urdangarin

(2022) No és la primera: l'altra infidelitat d'Iñaki Urdangarin a la infanta Cristina

Princess Birgitta of Sweden's 85th Birthday!

Princess Birgitta in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, 1999.
Photo (c) Getty Images / Gianni Ferrari.

Today, Princess Birgitta of Sweden celebrates her eighty-fifth birthday.

Princess Sibylle of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden on their wedding day at Coburg, 1932.

Princess Birgitta at a little over one month old.

Prince Gustaf Adolf and Princess Sibylla with their eldest daughter Princess Margaretha and their infant daughter Princess Birgitta, Haga, April 1937.

Born on 19 January 1937 at Haga, Princess Birgitta Ingeborg Alice of Sweden was the second daughter and child of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten (1906-1947), and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1908-1972), who married in 1932. Birgitta's paternal grandparents were King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden (1882-1973) and his first wife Princess Margaret of Connaught (1882-1920). Her maternal grandparents were Duke Carl Eduard of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (1884-1954) and his wife Princess  Viktoria Adelheid of Schleswig-Holstein (1885-1970).

Princess Margaretha, Princess Birgitta, Princess Désirée, and Princess Christina of Sweden, 1945.
Photo (c) Getty Images / Hulton Deutsch.

Six month old Prince Carl Gustaf of Sweden, the future King, 1946.
Photo (c) Getty Images / Bettmann.

Prince Gustaf Adolf and Princess Sibylla of Sweden had five children, four daughters and one son: Princess Margaretha (b.1934), Princess Birgitta (b.1937), Princess Désirée (b.1938), Princess Christina (b.1943), and Prince Carl Gustaf (b.1946). In January 1947, Prince Gustaf Adolf was killed when the Royal Dutch Airlines DS-3 aircraft on which the prince was a passenger crashed in Copenhagen shortly after its take-off for Stockholm. The prince had been a hunting guest of Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands. American soprano Grace Moore was one of the other twenty-plus victims of the plane crash.

Princess Birgitta in 1960.
Photo (c) Getty Images / Rolls Press / Popperfoto.

In the late 1950s, Princess Birgitta was a student at the Kungliga Gymnastiska Centralinstitutet (Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences) in Stockholm. Through her studies at the school, the princess became a trained gymnast and also an instructor in the sport. In 1958, Birgitta taught gymnastics to students at the Broms School in Stockholm. 

Princess Birgitta and Prince Johann Georg when their engagement was announced, 1960.
Photo (c) Getty Images / Keystone.

On 15 December 1960, the Swedish royal court announced the engagement of Princess Birgitta of Sweden and Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern (1932-2016). The prince and princess met in 1959 at a cocktail party during a skiing holiday in Germany. Johann Georg was the son of Fürst Friedrich of Hohenzollern (1891-1965) and Princess Margrethe of Saxony (1900-1962). Birgitta and Johann Georg were fifth cousins; both were descendants of Duke Franz of Sachsen-Saalfeld-Coburg and his second wife Countess Auguste Reuss zu Lobenstein und Ebersdorf. 

The wedding day of Birgitta and Johann Georg, 1961.
Photo (c) Getty Images / Keystone-France.

On 25 May 1961, Princess Birgitta and Prince Johann Georg took part in their civil marriage at the Royal Palace in Stockholm; Mayor Yngve Kristensson joined the prince and princess in matrimony. The simple ceremony lasted for only two minutes, but it was attended by 750 guests and televised. On 30 May, the couple celebrated their religious wedding at Sigmaringen, which was presided over by Father Benedict Rith.  

Prince Johann Georg and Princess Birgitta with their three children: Prince Carl Christian, Princess Désirée, and baby Prince Hubertus, 1966.
Photo (c) Getty Images / Keystone-France.

Princess Birgitta and Prince Johann Georg had three children: Prince Carl Christian (b.1962; married Nicole Neschitsch), Princess Désirée (b.1963; married firstly to Hereditary Count Heinrich zu Ortenburg; married secondly to Eckbert von Bohlen und Halbach), and Prince Hubertus (b.1966; married Ute Maria König). Princess Birgitta has five grandchildren.

Princess Birgitta and Prince Johann Georg at the celebration of the prince's 50th birthday, 1982.
Photo (c) Getty Images / United Archives.

Princess Birgitta and Prince Johann Georg eventually quietly separated, though never legally, and they never divorced. Princess Birgitta preferred the warmer climate of Palma de Mallorca, Spain, where she could pursue her interest in golf; while Prince Johann Georg, an art historian, continued to reside in Germany. 

 

Princess Birgitta departing the funeral of her husband, 2016.
Photo (c) Getty Images / Picture Alliance.

 

Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern died on 2 March 2016, aged eighty-three. Johann Georg and Birgitta had been married for fifty-four years. The princess remains close to her family in Sweden. Princess Birgitta attended the 2010 wedding of her niece Crown Princess Victoria to Daniel Westling, the 2013 wedding of her niece Princess Madeleine to Christopher O'Neill, and the 2015 wedding of her nephew Prince Carl Philip to Sofia Hellqvist.

 

Our congratulations to Princess Birgitta on her birthday!

The 70th Birthday of King Fuad II of Egypt

His Majesty King Fuad.
Photo (c) Fouad II, Official Site.

Today, HM King Fuad II of Egypt celebrates his seventieth birthday!

The infant prince in the Cairo's Abdeen Palace.

King Farouk and Queen Narriman of Egypt with their son Prince Fuad.

Born on 16 January 1952 at Cairo, Prince Ahmad Fuad of Egypt was the first and only child of King Farouk of Egypt (1920-1965) and his second wife Queen Narriman (1933-2005; née Sadiq), who had married in 1951. From his father's first marriage to Queen Farida (1921-1988; née Safinaz Zulficar), the little prince had three older sisters: Princess Ferial (1938-2009), Princess Fawzia (1940-2005), and Princess Fadia (1943-2002). The three sisters and their younger brother remained very close to one another.

Queen Narriman and King Farouk of Egypt with their son King Fuad II while in exile at Capri, 1953.

Following the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, King Farouk abdicated on 26 July in favour of his six month old son, who became King Fuad II of Egypt. Fuad was never crowned, and he left with his parents and sisters for exile in Europe. A regency was established and headed by Prince Muhammad Abdel Moneim. Owing to the political situation in the country, the infant king's reign was to be very brief. On 18 June 1953, King Fuad II was deposed, the monarchy was abolished, and Egypt became a republic. The marriage of Fuad's parents had deteriorated rather quickly; King Farouk and Queen Narriman divorced in 1954. One of the conditions of the divorce, which was sought by the queen, was that she would have to give up custody of her son. This proved a great source of pain to Narriman, who returned to Egypt. In 1954, Queen Narriman married Dr. Adham al-Nakib, who had been King Farouk's personal doctor. The couple had one son, Akram, and divorced in 1961. King Farouk died in 1965 at the age of forty-five, having never remarried. 

The religious wedding of King Fuad II of Egypt, 1977.

King Fuad with his son Prince Muhammed Ali, 1979.

On 16 April 1976 at Paris, King Fuad II of Egypt civilly married Dominique-France Loeb-Picard (b.1948; upon her conversion to Islam she adopted the name Fadila), the daughter of David-Robert Loeb and Paule-Madeleine Picard. The couple were religiously married at Monte Carlo on 5 October 1977 in the presence of Prince Rainier and Princess Grace of Monaco. King Fuad and Queen Fadila had three children: Prince Muhammad Ali (b.1979; married Princess Noal Zaher of Afghanistan), Princess Fawzia-Latifa (b.1982; married Sylvain Jean-Baptiste Alexandre Renaudeau), and Prince Fakhruddin (b.1987). Fuad and Fadila's marriage had faltered by the mid-1990s; the couple separated in 2002. King Fuad filed for divorce in 2006 and Fadila appealed his petition. The couple were finally granted a divorce in 2008.

King Fuad with his daughter-in-law Princess Noal Zaher and his son Prince Muhammed Ali on the occasion of their wedding, 2013.
Photo (c) Fouad II, Official Site.

King Fuad with his two eldest children, their spouses, and his grandchildren, 2021.
Photo (c) Fouad II, Official Site.

The last King of Egypt lives in Switzerland. King Fuad has four grandchildren. In 2013, the king's eldest son Prince Muhammed Ali, Prince of the Sa'id, married Princess Noal Zaher Shah of Afghanistan, the daughter of Prince Muhammed Daoud Khan and Princess Fatima Begum. Prince Muhammed Ali and Princess Noal Zaher have two children, twins: Prince Fouad Zaher Hassan and Princess Farah-Noor of Egypt (b.2017). In 2019, the king's daughter Princess Fawzia-Latifa married Sylvain Jean-Baptiste Alexandre Renaudeau; the couple have two children, a son Naël Renaudeau (b.2019), and a daughter, Dounia Renaudeau (b.2021). King Fuad is a close family friend to the Albanian Royal House and the Russian Imperial House, among others.

The king with his son, daughter-in-law, and their children, 2019.
Photo (c) Fouad II, Official Site.

Our congratulations to His Majesty on his birthday!

The Serbian Twins Turn 40: the Birthday of Prince Philip and Prince Alexander!

Prince Alexander and Prince Philip.
Photograph courtesy of the Royal Family of Serbia.

 

Today, Prince Philip and Prince Alexander of Serbia celebrate their fortieth birthdays!

The birth of the twin princes is noted in the Chicago Tribune of 25 January 1982.

Princess Maria da Gloria holding Prince Alexander and Prince Philip while Prince Peter looks on, 1982.

Born on 15 January 1982 at Fairfax, Virginia, the fraternal twin princes Philip and Alexander were the second and third children of Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia (b.1945) and his wife Princess Maria da Gloria of Orléans-Braganza (b.1946). The paternal grandparents of the princes are King Peter II of Yugoslavia (1923-1970) and Queen Alexandra (1921-1993; née Princess of Greece). Their maternal grandparents are Prince Pedro Gastão of Orléans-Braganza (1913-2007) and Princess Esperanza of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1914-2005).

Princess Maria da Gloria and Crown Prince Alexander on their wedding day, 1972.

Crown Prince Alexander and Princess Maria da Gloria married on 1 July 1972 at Villamanrique de la Condesa. The couple were fourth cousins, both being descendants of Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and his wife Princess Mária Antónia von Koháry. Alexander and Maria da Gloria met in Portugal while both where on holiday with family. The prince and princess found that they could best converse in French. Even after the princess became fluent in English, Alexander and Maria da Gloria continued to speak in French between one another. 

Prince Alexander and Princess Maria da Gloria with their eldest son Prince Peter, 1982.
The couple were on vacation in Fort Meyers, Florida.
Photo (c) News-Press / Acey Harper.

The couple welcomed the arrival of their first child, Hereditary Prince Peter, on 5 February 1980 in Chicago, Illinois. Shortly thereafter, Prince Alexander and Princess Maria da Gloria moved to Virginia, where they purchased a home. It was in Virginia that they welcomed the arrival of their twins. 

Princess Alicia, Duchess of Calabria, and King Constantine II of the Hellenes with Prince Philip and Prince Alexander during their baptism. King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía of Spain as well as Queen Anne-Marie of Greece watch the ceremony.

Prince Philip and Prince Alexander of Serbia were baptised at Villamanrique, Spain, in July 1982; their parents had been married at the same place a decade earlier. When their mother was asked who she and her husband had chosen to be the princes' godparents, Princess Maria da Gloria responded: "They are the same for the two children. Because we had only thought of one child and we asked our cousin King Constantine [of Greece] and my cousin Anita of Bourbon-Sicilies [Duchess of Calabria] to be the godfather and godmother. When the twins arrived, we did not want to ask those we had chosen to share these responsibilities, but they [the King of Greece and the Duchess of Calabria] are so wonderful that they insisted on remaining godfather and godmother of the two children. This is why Philip and Alexander have the same godfather and the same godmother."

Prince Philip and Princess Danica surrounded by family and friends on their wedding day, 2017.
Photo (c) Getty Images / Milica Radicevic.

 

Prince Philip and Princess Danica with their son Prince Stefan, 2018.
Photo (c) Getty Images / Srdjan Stevanovic.

Prince Philip of Serbia graduated from University College London (UCL) with a Bachelor of Arts Honours in Humanities and following that he worked for Landsbanki in the City of London. On 7 October 2017 at Belgrade, Prince Philip married Danica Marinkovic (b.1986). Prince Philip and Princess Danica had their first child, Prince Stefan of Serbia, in 2018. The family live in Belgrade.

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Prince Alexander of Serbia at the wedding of Prince Philip, 2017.
Photo (c) Getty Images / Milica Radicevic.

Prince Alexander of Serbia attended the University of San Francisco and graduated with a Communication Studies Degree with Emphasis on Public Relations and Journalism. The prince lives in the United States.

Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia and his three sons (left to right): Hereditary Prince Peter, Prince Philip, and Prince Alexander.

Our best wishes to Prince Philip and Prince Alexander on their birthday!

A New Princess Bagration-Mukhransky of Georgia

Through the official Facebook page of the Bagration-Mukhransky family as well as reports in the Georgian media, it has been ascertained that Prince David Bagration (b.1976) has a daughter. Princess Anamaria Bagration-Mukhransky was born on 11 January 2011; she recently turned eleven years-old. Her mother is Davit's current wife, Princess Irina (née Begashvili), who the prince married in 2020. According to press reports, Davit and Irina met before the prince married Princess Anna Bagration-Gruzinsky in 2009. They ended their relationship for a time, but it was clearly rekindled at some point. As is already known, Prince Davit and Princess Anna had one son, Prince Giorgi (b.2011), before divorcing in 2013. 

Sources:

https://www.facebook.com/TheRoyalHouseOfGeorgiaOfficialPage/posts/4832357720174073

https://kvirispalitra.ge/article/85319-qchemi-favoriti-qalishvili-anamariaq-rogor-gamoiyureba-davith-bagrationisa-da-irina-begashvilis-shvili-romelic-samefo-ojakhis-tsevria/

A New Princess Bagration-Mukhransky of Georgia

Through the official Facebook page of the Bagration-Mukhransky family as well as reports in the Georgian media, it has been ascertained that Prince David Bagration (b.1976) has a daughter. Princess Anamaria Bagration-Mukhransky was born on 11 January 2011; she recently turned eleven years-old. Her mother is Davit's current wife, Princess Irina (née Begashvili), who the prince married in 2020. According to press reports, Davit and Irina met before the prince married Princess Anna Bagration-Gruzinsky in 2009. They ended their relationship for a time, but it was clearly rekindled at some point. As is already known, Prince Davit and Princess Anna had one son, Prince Giorgi (b.2011), before divorcing in 2013. 

Sources:

https://www.facebook.com/TheRoyalHouseOfGeorgiaOfficialPage/posts/4832357720174073

https://kvirispalitra.ge/article/85319-qchemi-favoriti-qalishvili-anamariaq-rogor-gamoiyureba-davith-bagrationisa-da-irina-begashvilis-shvili-romelic-samefo-ojakhis-tsevria/

Princess Ghislaine of Monaco on Life at the Princely Court

Prince Louis II of Monaco, King Gustav V of Sweden, and Princess Ghislaine of Monaco in 1947.
Photo (c) Getty Images / Keystone-France.

In 1946, Ghislaine Marie Françoise Dommanget (1900-1991) married Prince Louis II of Monaco (1870-1949). Before her marriage, Ghislaine was an actress. She had been married once before her union to the grandfather of Prince Rainier. The Dowager Princess of Monaco weighed in on what it was like being the consort of the Monegasque sovereign in an interview she gave in 1962. In 1964, Princess Ghislaine published her memoirs; a move that did not go over well with the princely family. The Dowager Princess of Monaco resided in Paris after the death of Prince Louis. She died there in 1991.

Following are some of the recollections of Princess Ghislaine on her experience of being the Princess Consort of Monaco:

"I can understand why Princess Grace wants to return to motion-picture work. It's no fun to be the reigning princess of Monaco. Life as I lived it and as Princess Grace must be living it now in the Grimaldi Palace is often stuffy and frequently painful. Most of the time I dreamed of the day when I would leave there. I recall a morning soon after my marriage to Prince Louis when I woke with a high fever. I told my husband that I wouldn't be able to attend a state lunch that had been planned." Louis II's reply was straight to the point: "'Madame, one doesn't become ill here until after lunch.' I can understand what she's going through. A few weeks of movie work would be such a relief from her terrible bondage of rank and position. What a heartbreak to have a contract in your hands and then have to give it up or put it off."